Yellowknife (Jan 10/05) - Mabel Brown felt compelled to help. Like other Northerners, she is shocked and saddened by the massive loss of life and destruction caused by the tsunami that struck parts of Southeast Asia on Boxing Day.

"I felt we should do something about it," said the Inuvik resident.

So while in Aklavik over the holidays, she borrowed her mother's silver tea kettle to raise money at a New Year's Day community feast.

Her 89-year-old mother, Mary Kendi, made the first donation before the feast, Brown said.

"She started off with $200 of her own money. She said, 'We got enough. Let's give some to them.'"

Brown raised just under $820 in all.

She was deeply moved by the television images of the disaster and the reports of people losing loved ones.

"It really touched me and brought tears to my eyes," she said.

Other Northerners have also been moved to act to help victims of the Dec. 26 disaster, which has killed more than 150,000 people and left countless others homeless in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Many individuals, schools, churches, service clubs, businesses and governments are donating money, mostly to the Red Cross. Such donations will be matched by the federal government.

Like Brown, some other Northerners have even organized fundraising drives.

At Princess Alexandra school in Hay River, the student council hopes each of the 260 students will donate a loonie.

The total will be matched by the school.

"They were just touched by the news on Boxing Day and they wanted to do something to help on a school level," said principal Gordon Miller.

The idea for the school collection came from 12-year-old Brieanne Glaicar, who said it was really sad to hear reports of the tragedy.

"If Canada had something like that, we would want people to donate to us," she said.

Student council president Holly Monkman, 12, was sad to hear of people losing their families and friends.

"If we raise a lot of money, then we could really be helping those people," she said.

Teachers are also pitching in and some students are contributing more than a dollar. One girl donated $25 of her own money.

Also in Hay River, the Elks Club has opened a fundraising account at the local CIBC branch with an initial $2,000 donation. Residents are being invited to contribute.

Club president John Brockway believes all people should pull together to help victims of the tragedy.

"We hope to get $20,000 from the community," Brockway says. "If we get that, it will be really good."

A benefit concert is planned for Jan. 14 in Yellowknife.

For those who can't attend the concert, event organizer Robin Wasicuna and the 2005 coolAID committee are inviting Yellowknifers and local businesses to make contributions, which will be announced between songs.

Wasicuna, a music promoter, says he originally contacted bands and solo performers about the idea of a benefit concert and it just snowballed from there. "The response has just been overwhelming, he said."

No fundraising target has been set for the concert, he said. "We're just trying to do our part and see what we can raise," said Wasicuna.

Fort Smith Mayor Peter Martselos is also collecting money, both at Town Hall and at his business.

As of the middle of last week, $1,200 had been raised. Martselos says once $2,000 is reached, it will be sent to the Red Cross. "Every little bit helps," he said.

It's not new for Fort Smith to assist in times of international disasters, he said, noting $8,000 was once raised in town to help famine victims in Ethiopia. "People are really generous, especially in Fort Smith," he said. "(The disaster) really touched everybody's heart."

A special collection for tsunami relief was taken Jan. 9 at all churches and missions of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith.

A letter was read at services from Bishop Denis Croteau encouraging church members to be "generous and compassionate" in supporting the fundraising effort.

Croteau says the funds will be sent to Development and Peace, the Canadian subsidiary of the Catholic international relief organization Caritis Internationalis.

The disaster has moved people, he notes. "It has really touched many people seeing all that misery."

The GNWT has also joined the effort with a pledge of $50,000 through the Red Cross.

It's not common for the GNWT to make such a donation during an international crisis.

"It is unusual, but so is this tsunami disaster," Premier Joe Handley said. "The feeling around the Cabinet table is we had to do something."

The pledge will be of cash and in-kind assistance that is yet to be identified -- possibly such things as temporary shelters. The government is checking with Emergency Preparedness Canada on what it might be able to offer.

Handley notes ongoing assistance will be required by the millions of people affected by the tsunami.

"It is not just something we deal with this year and forget about," he said.